Begin Again
by Noorlo
Summary: 'I bite my lip and picture his face if I would tell him I love him right now and here.' Post-After the Storm but no real spoilers. Very fluffy :


**A/N: In honour of the release of After the Storm and Taylor Swift's new single ''Begin Again'' I decided to write this story. I'm assuming we've all watched After the Storm (if not, go watch it **_**right now**_**) so I'm just gonna say; you should all totally listen to Begin Again (:**

**Oh, and another thing; I am begging all of you wonderful fanfic writers; please, please, please write a LOT of post-After the Storm and promo-based Cloudy with a Chance of Murder fics for us all to survive a whole week till we get another episode!**

**Extreme fluff-alert, ahahhaa, enjoy (:**

**begin again**

It's a Wednesday morning as I turn around in front of the mirror one more time. Skinny jeans underneath flowy, soft yellow top with a leather jacket and super high black killer heels.

I know he loves it when I wear high heels; I've always known he loved that, really. It's strange, because none of my previous boyfriends had; they always wanted to be taller than me. (it still feels weird, and maybe a little wrong to call him my boyfriend; he is my partner, and now in every way)

I run my hand through my hair one last time and take a deep breath before leaving the bedroom and grabbing my purse. I quickly check whether everything I need is in it and then zip it closed after taking out my phone and earphones.

I feel my stomach flutter with excitement and nerves.

I shouldn't be nervous; I've known the man for over four years and I've already slept with him multiple times, for God's sake!

I take my earphones and plug them into my phone, turning up some music as I lock the door and make my way down the hallway. Mrs. Watson -an old lady living three doors away from me- waves at me as I walk past her, and I smile at her and wave back.

I'm smiling the whole way I'm walking toward my car, which is unfortunately parked a few blocks away since I came home late yesterday and all the parking spaces were taken. I find myself not caring and breathe in the fresh air as I keep on walking in a steady pace.

…

I had expected him to be late. I don't know why, because in all of the four years I have known him he has never been late when I asked to meet up with him, but maybe I'd just expected him to be the type to arrive fashionably late at a date.

-date. That still sounds so surreal.

But as I have been wrong about many things with him, he is already seated at a table in the corner of the café. His hands are cradling a cup of coffee and he's looking down at it. A second cup is sitting on the other side of the table; still steaming and waiting for me.

I walk up to the table; he smiles and immediately jumps up as soon as he catches sight of me.

''Hey,'' I smile a little self-consciously as I kiss him briefly on the lips. It's still so new but our relationship had not been awkward at all these first few weeks. This, however, is different; it's out first 'date' on which be both arrived from our own apartments and on a fixed time and date that we'd set a couple of days ago. Most importantly; in public.

''Hi,'' he replies as he takes my jacket and pulls back my chair for me to sit, ''you look beautiful.''

I feel my butterflies fluttering in my stomach; oh, I am terribly far gone. He doesn't realize how nice, and sweet, and wonderful he is.

''Thank you,'' I quietly reply. It might be called an overreaction but I am completely amazed by his gesture. It's been a while since someone has done that for me. ''You don't look so bad yourself, too,'' I then add with a playful smile.

He grins at me.

…

I say something; I don't even really know what, and he throws his head back as he laughs; carefree and innocent like a little kid. I want to kiss him.

I want to kiss him all the time. It's really no difference from before because I've spent most of the time I've known him wanting to kiss him, but only now I can do so anytime I want to.

He stops laughing at looks at me.

''What?'' he asks.

''Nothing,'' I say as I lean towards him to kiss him. I touch his jaw with my fingers before our lips meet.

''Why are you laughing?'' I ask him murmuring as I pull back.

''Because you're funny,'' he says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

I scrunch up my face, thinking about it. I've been called a lot of things, but no one has really told me I'm funny. Not after my mother was killed, that is.

''I am?'' I ask him and I can't keep the incredulity out of my voice.

''Yeah,'' he says, ''you are. You don't show that side very often, but you are.''

I look down at my coffee cup and take a sip to hide my smile. I love how good he knows me without having to explain anything.

''It's been a while since someone's said that to me,'' I say with a small, maybe slightly insecure smile.

He just smiles and my heart skips a beat because in that moment I realize that I should have never believed that real love wasn't out there for me.

I bite my lip and picture his face if I would tell him I love him right now and here.

…

''So what are you doing this Christmas?'' he asks out of the blue, and I cock my brow as I turn my head to look at him. We're walking on the sidewalk, making our way towards my car.

I've been having this feeling the whole time that I have to tell him something, but I can't get myself to bring it up. He makes me happy, even now that I've dropped my mom's case, even now that I know who it is that had her killed, even though I am supposed to feel completely and utterly terrible right now.

But I don't.

I am happier than I've been in ages.

''What?'' I ask laughing, ''Castle, it's not even Halloween yet!''

''You can never start planning and looking forward to Christmas soon enough, Kate! Don't you know that? Alexis and I always watch all the Home Alone movies, and we cook together and eat ice cream; you should totally come!'' he says excitedly. ''Unless you have other plans of course…'' he then adds awkwardly.

I don't. I usually have dinner with my father on Christmas Eve, but it's never that much fun because we're both just thinking about whom we're missing. He usually leaves quite early and I just curl up on the couch with a blanket to watch Love Actually and cry.

''Well unlike you, I don't start planning my Christmases months before it's actually Christmas,'' I laugh as I grab his hand. He looks a little surprised by the gesture and looks down at our joined hands for a couple of seconds, but then turns back to me.

''Your dad can come, of course, I'm sure he'll love to experience a real Castle-Christmas, and so will you,'' he continues, and I silently smile at his big-kid behaviour.

He doesn't notice; too busy with his story.

''We'll see,'' I say as I briefly kiss his cheek.

…

''Hey, uhm, Rick,'' I silently say as we stop where my car is parked.

He raises his brows and looks at me. ''Hm?'' he hums questioning.

''I-uh, thanks.''

''For what?'' he asks, genuinely confused.

''I had a really good time today-'' I start off, ''and uhm, just for everything. I'd kind of forgotten that this kind of relationship existed, or well, at least that _I_ could have a relationship like this and… thank you.''

''Sure, anytime,'' he says with that charming, bright smile of his.

''No, I mean. I- I just really…'' my voice falters and I want to tell him I love him, but I can't really find the words, not yet. So I tell him the next best thing; ''I'm just really happy. You make me happy.''

His smile gets even wider and he pulls me towards him only to crush me against his broad chest.

''You make me happy too, Kate,'' he says, and then murmuring repeats against the top of her head; ''-you make me happy too.''

**A/N: Leave a review on your way out? 'Cause reviews make **_**me**_** happy (: **

**Thanks for reading (:**


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